Introduction to Stem Cell Research
The American Medical Association says, "[A] stem cell is an immature cell that has the potential to become specialized into different types of cells throughout the body the body," and "there are two basic types of stem cells: adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells" (paragraphs 1-2). Adult stem cells can actually be found in both adults and children; their name comes from the fact that they can be harvested from mature tissue without causing harm to the person from whom they are harvested. Embryonic stem cells, on the other hand, can only be derived from embryos, and the harvesting process destroys the embryos. From this basic introduction, it is already clear that embryonic stem cell research has far greater …show more content…
These include: the first isolation of stem cells from mice in the year 1980; the first isolation in primates in the year 1995; and the first isolation in humans in the year 1997. These events were important due to the fact that scientifically speaking, the isolation of stem cells from other elements within the body would be a prerequisite for conducting rigorous research on stem cells themselves. From this point, the scientific history over the course of the last decade and a half has been characterized by progressive breakthroughs in stem cell technologies, including stem cell transplants for patients with illnesses such as leukemia, trials with human beings with degeneration of the eyes, experiments with mice regarding the regeneration of heart tissue, and the cloning of embryonic stem cells (which would avert the need to harvest new stem cells from new …show more content…
This has proved to be a quite partisan issue. For example, in 2001, Bush issued an executive order that placed significant restrictions on federal funding for stem cell research; and in 2009, Obama countermanded this order with an order of his own called "Removing Barriers to Responsible Scientific Research involving Human Stem Cells" (see Research America). This, of course, is tied to broader political conflicts regarding issues such as religion and abortion. If the federal government is to spend tax money on stem cell research, then this would likely contradict the values of many Americans, and especially conservative Americans, regarding the origins of human life. This is likely why the main legislative barriers against stem cell research have always focused on embryonic stem cell research. Again, as has been noted above, significantly greater ethical dilemmas inhere to research with embryonic stem cells than to research with adult stem
The American Medical Association says, "[A] stem cell is an immature cell that has the potential to become specialized into different types of cells throughout the body the body," and "there are two basic types of stem cells: adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells" (paragraphs 1-2). Adult stem cells can actually be found in both adults and children; their name comes from the fact that they can be harvested from mature tissue without causing harm to the person from whom they are harvested. Embryonic stem cells, on the other hand, can only be derived from embryos, and the harvesting process destroys the embryos. From this basic introduction, it is already clear that embryonic stem cell research has far greater …show more content…
These include: the first isolation of stem cells from mice in the year 1980; the first isolation in primates in the year 1995; and the first isolation in humans in the year 1997. These events were important due to the fact that scientifically speaking, the isolation of stem cells from other elements within the body would be a prerequisite for conducting rigorous research on stem cells themselves. From this point, the scientific history over the course of the last decade and a half has been characterized by progressive breakthroughs in stem cell technologies, including stem cell transplants for patients with illnesses such as leukemia, trials with human beings with degeneration of the eyes, experiments with mice regarding the regeneration of heart tissue, and the cloning of embryonic stem cells (which would avert the need to harvest new stem cells from new …show more content…
This has proved to be a quite partisan issue. For example, in 2001, Bush issued an executive order that placed significant restrictions on federal funding for stem cell research; and in 2009, Obama countermanded this order with an order of his own called "Removing Barriers to Responsible Scientific Research involving Human Stem Cells" (see Research America). This, of course, is tied to broader political conflicts regarding issues such as religion and abortion. If the federal government is to spend tax money on stem cell research, then this would likely contradict the values of many Americans, and especially conservative Americans, regarding the origins of human life. This is likely why the main legislative barriers against stem cell research have always focused on embryonic stem cell research. Again, as has been noted above, significantly greater ethical dilemmas inhere to research with embryonic stem cells than to research with adult stem